As disclosed in Patent Document 1, an image forming apparatus, such as a laser printer, includes a toner container as a toner case to be attached to an apparatus main body. The apparatus main body is provided with an image forming portion including a developing portion.
The toner container includes a case body in which a toner as a developer is contained. The case body is provided with a toner supplying portion which supplies a toner to the developing portion of the apparatus main body. Further, at an inside of the case body, a screw portion which conveys the toner to the toner supplying portion and a stirring mechanism which stirs the toner are provided.
The stirring mechanism includes a shaft driven to rotate at the inside of the case body, and a stirring sheet attached to the shaft. The screw portion includes a screw shaft driven to rotate at the inside of the case body, and a spiral conveying blade formed on an outer face of the screw shaft and elongated along an axial direction of the screw shaft. One end of the screw shaft is rotatably supported by a bearing formed at the inside of the case body. Meanwhile, another end of the screw shaft is supported by a driving member, which transmits a driving force of a motor, at the inside of the case body.
Further, the toner contained at the inside of the case body is stirred by the stirring mechanism and is conveyed to the screw portion. The toner having been conveyed to the screw portion is conveyed to the toner supplying portion by the screw portion. Thus, the toner is supplied from the toner supplying portion to the developing portion outside the case body.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2010-176033